What's the difference between 'beside' and 'besides'?

• "Sit beside me." (next to me)
• "She stood beside the door."
• "The hotel is beside the lake."

• "Besides the main issue, there are several smaller ones." (in addition to)
• "I don't want to go. Besides, it's raining." (moreover, anyway)
• "Who else was there besides Tom?" (in addition to)

"Beside the point": A fixed expression meaning irrelevant. "That's beside the point" = that's not what we're discussing. Notice: "beside" here, not "besides."

Quick test: Can you replace it with "next to"? → beside. Can you replace it with "in addition to" or "anyway"? → besides.

Common error: Using "beside" when you mean "besides." "Beside, it's cheaper" ❌ → "Besides, it's cheaper" ✓.

Tags: vocabulary, prepositions, confusing words, beside vs besides